Pivotal connection for motor-vehicles.



C. S. PEETS, 0. D. SHONNARD & R. G. DUBOIS. PlvoTAL CONNECTION FOR MOTORVEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,1917.

1 ,260,027. Pat/Ontcd Mair. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. S. PEETS, O. D. SHONNARD & R. G. DU BOIS.

PIVOTAL CONNECTION FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 20.19I7.

Patented Mm. 19, 1918.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

CLIFFORD S. IPEETS, OF GREAT NECK, NE

W YORK, AND ORLANDO D. SHONNARD, OF

MONTCLAIR, AND RHESA G. DU BOIS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PIVOTAL CONNECTION FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application'led July 20, 1917. Serial No. 181,795.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLIFFORD S. PEETs, residing at Great Neck, in thecounty of Nassau and State of New York; ORLANDO D. SHONNARD, residing atMontclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, and RHEsA G.DU Bois, residing at East Oran e, in the county of Essex and State ofNew ersey, all being citizens of the United States, have inventedcertain new and-useful Improvements in Pivotal Connections forMotor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. v

Our invention relates to those motor vehicles wherein a front elementcommonly called the tractor is used to haul a rear element commonlyknown to the art as a twowheeled semi-trailer, in contradistinction to afour wheel trailer.

These two elements are usually connected by an oscillating separablepivotal connection known in one form as a fifth wheel comprising apivotal pin and surrounding circular bearing and steadying memberswhereby the semi-trailer is allowed to rotate and oscillate relative tothe tractor or propelling element while in transit.

In carrying out the foregoing method it has been found that considerabletime and work is involved in the operation of connecting anddisconnecting the semi-trailer from the tractor; and the purpose of ourinvention is to provide more simple, positive and efiicient means forreducing such time and work.

To this end our invention consists in the peculiar featuresand-combinations of parts, more fully described hereinafter and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic sideelevation of our invention as applied to the rear latform of an ordinarytractor, showing t e forward end of a semi-trailer raised as in the actof separating the oscillating separable pivotal connection by a liftingseparator located within said connection.

Fig. 2 is a top view of an oscillating separable pivotal connection withour lifting separator, part of the connection being cut away to bettershow vthe mechanism beneath. Flg. 3 is an end elevation partly in fulllines and partly in cross-section. In this view, dotted lines indicatethe position from which the parts `were shifted bodily sidelines showhow the upper member oscillates with the lifting separator, and whereinthe fifth wheel is shown secured to the tractor frame through the mediumof bolsters instead. of directly to said frame as in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view of a modification of a ball and socket formationbetween the pivotal pin and lifting separator.

.As seen in F ig, 1, the reference numeral 1, represents the rear end ofa tractor and 2, a semi-trailer connected to be hauled by the tractorthrough the medium of an oscillating separable pivotal connection 7 Inthe present instance, this oscillating separable pivotal connectionconsists of a member 71, that rocks on a b ase 72 attached to the frame15 of the tractor through the This upper separable plate-4 is providedwith a central pivotal pin 5 projecting downward and adapted to dropinto a socket 23 in the center of ring or plate l18. 17 is africtionring bearing between the two parts. Dotted line 6 shows the position ofthe semitrailers floor before being lifted.

Our invention includes the combining with such oscillating separablepivotal connection, a lifting jack 8 which jack is operable by a crankshaft 36 conveniently extending out to the side of the tractor where itcan be turned by a handle.37 to lift the forward end of the semi-trailer2 and separate it from the tractor 1 as seen more clearly in Fig. 1.

This oscillating separable pivotal connection proper is seatedtransversely on the frame 15V either by means of the bolsters 60 as seenin Fig. 4 or directly to the frame as in Fig. 3.

In connecting the semi-trailer 2 with the tractor 1, itis necessary tobring the pivotal pin 5 into coincidence with the head 38 of the liftingseparator 8 so that as the lifting separator is raised it will meet thehead 39 of the pivotal pin 5. In backing the tractor under the end ofthe propped up semitrailer, the operator cannot always brin theseparable parts into coincidence, and 1t is desirable for the purpose ofsaving time, to shift the oscillating separable pivotal connectionmechanism a little one way or the other in making the connection.

For such purpose, we allow the bearings 21 to be moved bodily sidewiseor transversely on hollow trunnions 10 and 11 as shown by dotted linesin Fig. 3.

Elongated slots 61 in base plates 12 also permit the whole connection tobe moved longitudinally of the tractor 1 on the frame 15 whenever thebolts 14 are loosened.

As a still further means of facilitating the coupling operation betweenthe pivotal pin 5 and lifting separator 8, the member 71 (Fig. l) may beoscillated back and forth on its horizontal axis 73. Thus it will beseen that quite a range of lateral movement is allowed in bringing thepivotal pin 5 and lifting separator 8 into coincidence for the couplingoperation.

In the oscillating separable pivotal connection 7 the lifting separator8 is suspended therefrom in a hanger 31 depending from the bottom oflowermost ring 18 and oscillates with it. VThe lifting separator 8 alsoworks up and down in a sheath 32. A feather pin 33 prevents the liftingseparator from turning as it is driven upward and downward by the bevelgear 30. The vertical bore of the rotary gear 30, is longitudinallythreaded or otherwise formed to mesh with the longitudinal thread of thejack screw or ejector 8, so that said gear constitutes the rotary nutwhereby said screw is sustained and elevated and depressed. The screw 8is held against rotation by the pin 33, projecting into and freelymovable vertically in the longitudinal groove or runway 34 in the wallof the sheath or casing 32.

The horizontal bevel gear 30 is actuated by a miter pinion 35 to actuatethe lifting separator 8. Registering holes 50 and 51 facilitate theremoval of the feather pin 33. Screws 52 secure the hanger 31 to theplate 18. Referring to Fig. 4, 1t will be seen that the pivotal pin 5 isretainable against jumping out of its socket'by the sliding latch 26held in guide-'way 48. This sliding latch 26 is automatically slid backto release the pivotal pin 5 through the medium of an elbow lever 42pivoted at 43 to hanger 31. The left arm 44 of said lever is engaged bythe head 38 of the lifting separator 8 in its movement upward. Thisaction lifts the arm 44 thereby swinging the other arm 45 outward, andas it is loosely connected with the underside of the latch in a notch47, it carries the latch vwith it suiiciently to liberate the pivotalpin 5. A handle 25 enables the operator to manually withdraw the latchwhen desired. The latch is thrown into locking position as in Fig. 2 bya closing spring 49 having its free end bearing against the arm 45 ofthe elbow lever 42, and when so locked, the forked end 26 passes astridethe lower end of pivotal pin 5 and within the annular groove 29. Thelower shoulder 27 would arrest the fork and prevent the pivotal pin fromjumping out.

In order to permit the operator to actuate the lifting separator 8 fromeither side of the tractor 1, we provide a duplicate pinion 53 and crankshaft 54. ,A

Summarizing the operation of our device, whenever the operator wishes todetach the trailer 2 from the tractor 1, all he has to do is to rotatethe crank shaft 36 thereby actuating the beveled gears 30 and 35 toraise or lower the'lifting separator 8. In the elevating operation,which is the detaching operation, the elbow lever 42 first throws outthe latch and then the head 38 engages the lower end 39 of king orpivotal pin 5 and lifts it together with the forward end ofy thesemi-trailer far enough up to clear the tractor. After props 28 havebeen placed under the floor 3 of the semi-trailer, the lifting separator8 should be lowered by a reversal of the crank 37 thus leaving` thefront end of the semi-trailer supported by thefv props. The tractor maythen be run out from under the semi-trailer for other service.

Inasmuch as the lifting separator 8 (Fig. 1) oscillates in common withmember 71, it maintains better alinement and endwise pressure on thepivotal pin during the raislng and lowering operations besidesfacilitating the coupllng and uncoupling operations.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the ball and socket formation isreversed and the socket 62 depends from the` trailer plate 63 and isengaged by the ball 64 on the screw 65. The locking latch 66 operatingin an annular slot 67 1n the circumference of the socket 62 serves tohold the trailer portion to the tractor portion the same as in theprincipal views. The lifting screw 65 is operable by beveled gears 68and 69 driven by a shaft 74 journaled in hanger 75.

Although we have shown thev preferred forms we propose to use, ,it isapparent that our invention could be variedin a variety of ways withoutescaping the spirit and scope of the device.

What we claim is 1. In a motor vehicle, a tractor, and a detachablesemi-trailer in combination with an oscillating separable pivotalconnection between the tractor and semi-trailer, said connectionembodying vertically separable upper and lower members one of which isprovided with a king pin and the other with a manually-actuated liftingand separating device constructed and arranged to lift the upper memberfree from the lower member of the connection and at the same time liftthe fore-end of the Semi-trailer free from the tractor.

2. In a motor vehicle, a tractor and a semi-trailer provided with anoscillating vertically separable pivotal connection between them incombination with a separating and lifting jack on the tractorandescillatory with said connection.

3. In a motor4 vehicle, a tractor semitrailer element provided with aseparable pivotal connection embodying a king pin in combination with aseparating and lifting jack on the tractor and longitudinally alinedwith the king pin,

4. In a motor vehicle of the tractor semitrailer type, a separablepivotal connection mounted to rock on a transverse axis in combinationwith a lifting jack incorporated within said connection and roekabletherewith and mechanism for operating thel jack.

5. In a motor vehicle, a tractor semitrailer element provided with anoscillating separable pivotal connection embodying upper and lowermembers, said connection being provided with a lifting jack coperatingwith said members to lift the semi-trailer portion of the vehicle andthereby operatively disconnects the upper and lower members of theoscillating separable pivotal connection.

6. As a new article of manufacture for motor vehicles of the tractorsemi-trailer type, a combined separable pivotal connecting elementembodying a king pin attachable to the semi-trailer element and aseparating and lifting device on the tractor element arranged tocooperate with the king pin to lift the semi-trailer element and.operatively disconnect the king pin from the tractor element. l

7. As a new article of manufacture for motor vehicles of the tractorsemi-trailer` type an oscillating vertically separable pivotalconnecting element in combination with a lifting separator attachable tosaid connecting element and rockable therewith to maintain its alinementwith said element, said separator cooperating with said element to liftthe semi-trailer and thereby operatively disconnect the tractor andtrailer.

8. In an oscillating separable pivotal connecting element for motorvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type, an oscillating member of theconnecting element in combination with a lifting jack suspended from andoscillating with the oscillating member and arranged to lift the trailerand thereby operatively disconnect the same from the tractor.

9. An oscillating separable pivotal connecting element for motorvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type said element having a centraloscillating separable pivotal connection and a separating and liftingdevice se'cured to oscillate with the oscillating member.

10. An oscillating separable pivotal connection for motor vehicles ofthe tractor semi-trailer type wherein the connecting element isshiftable bodily sidewise and in makingeonnection with its separablemembers, said element being provided with a lifting jack carried therebyand shiftable therewith and arranged to lift the trailer and separatesaid connection.

11. A vertically-separable oscillatory pivotal connection for motorvehicles of the tractor semi trailer type and the like, comprising abase provided with transverse alined trunnions, an oscillatorysocket-forming member carried by and provided with depending bearingsmounted on said trunnions, said bearings being movable longitudinally ofsaid trunnions to permit said member to be bodily shifted sidewise, anda king pin adapted to the socket formed by said member, substantially asdescribed.

12. An oscillating separable pivotal connecting element for motorvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type which connecting elementcomprises a pair of separable members attachable respectively to thetractor and semi-trailer, the tractor member being arranged and adaptedto be shifted bodily sidewise to facilitate the connecting operation andbeing provided with and carrying a jack for lifting the trailer andthereby operatively disconnecting said members.

13. An oscillating separable pivotal connecting element for motorvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type provided with means forshifting one of the connecting members bodily laterally to aid in makingthe connection between the tractor and semi-trailer, in combination witha lifting separator which lifts and separates the tractor element fromthe semi-trailer element.

llt. An oscillating separable pivotal connecting element for motorvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type which connection.

1 5. In an oscillating separable pivotal A connecting element for mot-orvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type said connecting elementcomprising upper and lower members attachable to the tractor andsemitrailer respectively in combination with a lifting separator and alocking latch unlocked by the action of the lifting separator.

16. In an oscillating separable pivotal connect-ing element for motorvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type a pivot pin attachable to thesemi-trailer member in combination with a lifting separator onthetractor member adapted to engage said pin, the engaging ends of saidpin and separator formed to fit one within the other, whereby the twoare prevented from slipping apart during the raising and loweringoperations.

17. In an oscillating separable pivotal connecting element for motorvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type said connecting elementcomprising an upper member attachable to the semi-trailer .element andprovided with a pivot pin in combination with a lower member attachableto the tractor element and provided with a lifting separator se cured toand forming part of the connecting element, and a ball and socketformation between said pivot pin and lifting separator.

18. In an oscillating separable pivotal connecting element for motorvehicles of the tractor semi-trailer type, a pivot pin in combinationwith a lifting separator adapted to engage said pin, said pin andseparator having interitting concave and convex ends, whereby the twoare preventedfrom slipping apart during the raising and loweringoperations.

19. In a motor vehicle, a tractor element having a socket, and a trailerelement having a kingpin adapted to enter said socket, in combinationwith an ejector placed end to end with the king-pin, and a lateralcrank-shaft extending out to the side of the tractor for actuating theejector whereby the trailer element is separated from the tractorelement.

20. A tractor having means providing an oscillating king-pin socket, incombination with an ejector in juxtaposition to said socket, and alateral crank for operating the ejector.

21. A vertically separable fth Wheel for motor vehicles of the tractorsemi-trailer type and the like, comprising a member embodying aking-pin, and a member provided with a socket for said pin and alsoprovided with a lifting jack arranged to cooperate with said pin inlifting the trailer and operatively disconnecting the trailer andtractor, and manually controlled actuating means for said jack.

22. A vertically-separable fifth wheel for motor vehicles of the tractorsemi-trailer type comprising a king-pin adapted to be xed to thetrailer, and a member adapted to be carried by the tractor and providinga socket for said pin, a vertically movable ejector carried by saidmember and arranged'below said socket to engage the pin and elevate thesame from said socket, and an operating shaftfor said ejector carried bysaid member and provided with an exterior operating handle.

23. A fifth wheel for motor vehicles and the like, consisting ofoscillating members provided with a central king-pin socket and alifting jackv screw which enters the socket and expels the pin toseparate the parts.

24. A vertically separable pivotal connection for motor vehicles of thetractor semi trailer type and the like, comprising a king pin, incombination with a base, a member carried by said base and pivotallyconnected thereto to rock on a transverse axis and providing a socketfor said king pin, a king pin ejector mounted in said member, and ashaft for operating said ejector, the axis of said shaft beingconcentric with said transverse axis.

25. A vertically separable pivotal connection for detachably joining atractor and semi-trailer, comprising attaching means, a member supportedby and pivotally coupled to said means to rock on a transverse axis andproviding a vertical king pin socket, a king pin adapted to said socket,a rotary nut alined with said socket and carried by said means, anon-rotary ejector screw pro pelled longitudinally by said nut to ejectsaid pin from said socket, and a shaft connected to said nut forrotating the same and having manual operating means, said shaft beingarranged with its axis concentric with said transverse axis.

26. A vertically separable pivotal connection for detachably joining avtractor and semi-trailer, comprising attaching means, a member providinga vertical king pin socket, a king pin adapted to said socket, a rotarynut alined with said socket and carried by said means, a non-rotaryejector screw propelled longitudinally by said nut to eject said pinfrom said socket, and a shaft connected to said nut for rotating thesame and having manual operating means.

27. A pivotal connection for detachably joining a tractor and a semitrailer, comprising upper and lower members adapted to be secured to thetrailer and tractor respectively, and arranged to interlock to providefor relative movement 'on a vertical axial line, said members beingvertically separable to detach the trailer from the tractor, one of saidmembers being provided with and carrying a lifting screw arranged toabut the other member and lift the same and the trailer to separate saidmembers and detach the trailer, and manual operating means for saidscrew.

28. A pivotal connection for detachably joining a tractor and a semitrailer, comprising upper and lower members adapted to be secured to thetrailer and tractor respectively, and arranged to interlock to providefor relative movement on'a vertical axial line, said members beingvertically separable to detach the trailer from the tractor, meansnormally maintaining said members against vertical separation, andmechanism for automatically actuating said means to release said membersfor separation comprising a manually-operated lifting jack arranged tolift the trailer and vertically separate said members for detaching thetrailer from the tractor.

joining -a tractor and a trailer comprising a king pin adapted to besecured to the trailer, a member providing a socket for the king pin,said member adapted to be secured to the tractor, a latch carried bysaid member for 'detachably confining the king pin against verticalWithdrawal from the socket, means for moving said latch from pinconfining position, and a lifting jack carried by said member' forlifting the trailer and Withdrawing the king pin from said socket.

30. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a tractor and trailer of apivotal connection comprising a king pin on the trailer element, asocket member on the tractor element, and va manually actuated ejectormounted with said member for pushing the king pin from its socket.

31. In a motor vehicle, the combination element, a socket member on thetractor element, and a manually actuated king-pinabutting ejector forpushing the king pin from its socket and lifting the trailer elementclear of the tractor element.

32. A pivotal connection for detachably joinin a tractor and a trailer,consisting essentially of a fifth Wheel embodying a king pin, andprovided with a separate `independent lifting jack included in andcarried by the fifth wheel and constructed and arranged to coperate withthe king pin to lift the tra-iler and eject said pin.

CLIFFORD s. PEETs. ORLANDO D. sHONNARD. RHEsA G. DU BOIS. [La]

